Germany says ‘jawoll’ to autonomous driving

Germany has agreed to autonomous driving. Nice and nice, but what does that look like in practice?

Our neighbors have approved a bill that will allow the use of automated vehicles (level 4 of autonomous driving) by 2022. The bill was passed by the Bundestag on Thursday. That is say the House of Representatives of Germany. The proposal is called ‘Road Traffic Act and the Compulsory Insurance Act – Autonomous Driving Act’.

Autonomous driving in Germany

So the Germans are leading the way here. Such a far-reaching law has not yet been adopted in our country. The vehicles that fall under level 4 and are allowed to drive in certain areas are:

• “People movers” – automatic passenger transport systems for short distances

• Driverless connections between logistics centers (Hub2Hub transport)

• Demand-oriented off-peak transport services in rural areas

• For example, vehicles that can be used for ‘automated valet parking’

The key question, of course, is whether self-driving cars for the general public will also be allowed in regular traffic. And it kind of does, but it’s hard to imagine them hitting the streets any time soon as current technology still offers partially automated support (level 2). So it won’t be for the time being.

Requirements

You can’t suddenly throw things open. The bill therefore contains some requirements. A vehicle can only be granted an operating license as long as all the requirements are met. Therefore, there is an additional article that defines the obligations of the manufacturers. A human driver is therefore no longer necessary in a decent autonomous vehicle.

Some people abhor it, for some people it can’t come soon enough. A “technical supervisor” will be required to comply with current international regulations. He or she does not drive the vehicle, but is responsible for complying with the obligations under the law. Think of good parking, safety and so on. Now that it has passed through parliament, the Bundesrat will then vote on the law (Senate). It is unknown when the Netherlands will follow.